• Commodore Free Magazine, Issue 74 - Part 10

    From Stephen Walsh@39:901/280 to All on Sat Dec 14 22:25:50 2013
    the interpreter itself and as its
    quite simple as you can only really enter 2 words with limited vocabulary. Still the game is very playable, if you're not a fan you may get frustrated quite quickly, if you aren't a fan of these games then you wouldn't play it would you!

    Score

    Graphics: 2/10
    mainly for the different coloured
    text
    Sounds: 0/10
    didn't notice anything
    Gameplay: 5/10
    if you like these games you will
    love this
    Overall: 5/10
    passes the time well nice
    implementation

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    STREET BATTLE

    The bad dudes have kidnapped your girlfriend ! Using your hand to hand combat skills, you must pursue them thru the streets and rescue her. Make sure to perform the right move against the right enemy or you'll die. when your girlfriend approaches, do not attack her so to complete the level.

    The game basically involves pressing the right key as the enemies come close
    to you, pressing the wrong key or performing the wrong move means death! Also performing the move to early or pressing the key to early will also mean
    death! It's difficult but I am sure you will find some form of system to work out what move should be done and where or when, I found the game quite frustrating really!

    The idea is sound, but as this is a mix of programming styles with BASIC
    thrown in to the equation it tends to be quite slow. The animation is good although it's quite limited as the characters seem to glide and not walk due
    to the lack of animation in the walking department! However the punches and kicks are well animated and I like the outlined men, sadly again the sound is rather minimal

    Scores

    Graphics: 4/10
    some nice animations
    Sound: 1/10
    some blips and white noise
    Gameplay: 4/10
    just remember the keys
    Overall: 4/10
    nice idea but needs more work

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    VICROLEGUE I

    World heavyweight wresting on the unexpanded Vic that's got to be pants hasn't it? Well as the tile screen loads and some music plays (that sounds like it's been written in step time using the MAGITOOL applications which I guess all
    the games on this compilation have.

    Well its more random notes than an actual tune, with just a single channel playing . It does have some good points but I can't think of them at this moment.. I press space bar to advance and then am presented with the options for f1 to play or f7 instructions. The instructions are a must I think so I press f7 to read.

    Instructions

    Ladies & gentlemen!!

    In the main event of the evening, you are in control of vic= flair to fight hulk logan for the world title. there's a 5 minute time limit.

    Use these keys to move your wrestler around the ring.

    Try to make contact with your opponent when he is weak for your best chance to gain advantage. a pin is attempted when executing a finishing manoeuvre.
    g o o d l u c k!!!

    So basically you are a yellow dot and have to move around the ring chasing a red dot, However it does get better so keep reading! Like you I was somewhat underwhelmed with the initial instructions but persevere there is a game in here!

    Ok yep doesn't look that much 2 dots on screen in a blue square, but as you move into position and take advantage of your weak time in the opponent and then finally meet up for a fight move. You get these cute animation screens,
    ok it's no mortal combat but the idea is actually sound.

    Talking about sound you just get some white noise for the fighting moves.

    Despite all I have said the game is intriguingly playable, an interesting
    idea around the machines limitations.

    Scores

    Graphics: 6/10
    some nice animations
    Sounds: 4/10
    music (as such) and in game white
    noise
    Gameplay: 5/10
    not bad
    Overall: 5/10
    nice idea but I think it still
    needs more work and polish

    Summary

    You would think after reading the instructions that this game was rubbish, but the idea to work around the machine limitations makes for quite a playable game, with a couple of friends round for a death match it could add to gaming night more than make one!

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    VICROLEGUE II

    Ok so this must be a sequel, maybe the polish has been added and the game tidied up! Well the music is just a random If it's not the same as part I, I couldn't really decide, and the title screen looks the same apart from the colours so let's hit f7 and read the instructions.

    So basically it's the same as Vicrolegue 1 same idea similar instructions and controls, So without more of a build down, pressing F1 will let us play the game.

    Fight!

    Not sure if they say this in wrestling but ..

    Well the main fighting screen is the same to align your dot when the enemy's energy is low. The graphics have changed to digitised mono pictures, to be quite honest the original looked far better, because the images are small
    they are difficult to see and the line art animations seemed to fit the small screen better, I know its technically more advanced but it seems to be a backwards step to me. Of course if they were full screen digitised pictures then they would be more clear but of course they wouldn't fit on an unexpanded Vic 20 which I guess is the point! Sounds are the same and so is the rest of the game play.

    Scores

    Graphics: 5/10
    I preferred the animations
    Sounds: 4/10
    music (as such) and in game white
    noise
    Gameplay: 5/10
    not bad
    Overall: 4.5/10
    nice idea but I think it needs work

    Summary

    Well the upgrade added digitised animations but I personally don't think they add to the game I preferred the original version!

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    WORM-OUT

    Starting the game gives 3 options

    1. Worm out 1
    2. Worm out 2
    3. Para-trooper

    Ever the anarchist I select option 1 for worm out 1.

    The instructions say

    by system iiii c1988

    Press any key to fire missiles at the space worm before it consumes the
    earth's shield that protects it from the meteor swarm. You get a bonus if
    you can hit the worm's head. You also get bonuses for cities still standing after the meteor swarm at the end of the round. It's not a new game by any means and reminds me of the type in listings you used to see in magazines. So basically the "worm" (that is a line of coloured blocks)moves across the
    screen and drops a line as it reaches the screen edge wrapping around. Your
    job is the shoot the worm doing so reduces its size by one block, the other blocks around the missing block you have shot will squeeze up to shrink the worm and remove the gap in its missing part. Quite interesting with other options that I don't want to spoil, not a stretch of the machines capabilities by any means but very playable.

    Scores

    Graphics: 5/10
    basic but functional
    Sounds: 5/10
    more bleeps
    Gameplay: 6/10
    nice quick blast
    Overall: 6/10
    better than average but it does
    looks like an old type in listing

    Summary

    It's a variation on a theme but plays nicely enough, very retro.

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    WORM-OUT II

    Instructions

    by system iiii c1990

    Can you worm your way out of the hole? use I J K L to gobble food that sprouts in the garden. good luck! press space to start. You know what this is, you
    will have played this many times before especially if you owned a well know brand of mobile phone, when they were still none touch screen and weren't designed by fruit trees or green robots. In this game you control a worm and eat dots or in this case squares, as you eat them your worm goes longer and so the game continues until you either crash into yourself or the edge of the screen, Again its nothing new and the graphics are functional rather than spectacular but it all works well and feels smooth and fluid.

    Scores

    Graphics: 2/10
    minimal
    Sounds: 3/10
    just blips
    Gameplay: 4/10
    it's tried and tested game play
    Overall: 4/10

    Summary

    Tried and tested game play, its cut back to the very basics and of course much better versions already exist.

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    PARA-TROOPER

    Instructions

    by system iiii c1990

    You are the earth's last hope to save it from a meteor swarm. you have 10 chances. you lose 1 for every ti

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    * Origin: Dragon's Lair (39:901/280)